Electromechanical transducer device and method of forming a electromechanical transducer device

Abstract

A micro or nano electromechanical transducer device formed on a semiconductor substrate comprises a movable structure which is arranged to be movable in response to actuation of an actuating structure. The movable structure comprises a mechanical structure having at least one mechanical layer having a first thermal response characteristic, at least one layer of the actuating structure having a second thermal response characteristic different to the first thermal response characteristic, and a thermal compensation structure having at least one thermal compensation layer. The thermal compensation layer is different to the at least one layer and is arranged to compensate a thermal effect produced by the mechanical layer and the at least one layer of the actuating structure such that the movement of the movable structure is substantially independent of variations in temperature.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This disclosure relates to micro or nano electromechanical transducer devices and methods of forming micro or nano electromechanical transducer devices.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]ElectroMechanical Systems include Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) structures and Nano ElectroMechanical Systems (NEMS). MEMS and NEMS structures are used in a wide variety of applications including, for example, MEMS accelerometers in cars for airbag deployment or in consumer electronic devices such as game controllers, MEMS gyroscopes used in cars to detect yaw, optical switching, bio-MEMS applications, MEMS loudspeakers, inkjet printers and RF MEMS components such as antenna phase shifters. Advantages of using MEMS structures include they have mechanical properties but have small dimensions and can be manufactured using existing semiconductor processing technologies.[0003]A MEMS transducer device, which may be used as an actuator or sensor, may include a movable st...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This makes the thermal balance more difficult to be met.

In reality, however, this is complicated by manufacturing process variations.

More layers mean more processing steps and larger variations, resulting in higher cost and less reproducibility.

Also, the presence of the PZT layer before mechanical beam deposition may not be allowed due to serious contamination concerns.

In view of process constraints, it is not always possible to put the same material on both sides of the mechanical stack, due to serious contamination problems or because of process conditions.

For example, a metallic layer used as compensation for a metal electrode on top of a mechanical layer and made before the mechanical layer may not be compatible with the temperature deposition of the material of the mechanical layer.

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